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New animated St John Ambulance advert – featuring characters voiced by David Walliams, David Mitchell, Johnny Vegas, and Sir John Hurt – demonstrates how to save a choking baby

St John Ambulance has revealed today that four-fifths of parents (79%) wouldn’t know the correct technique for saving their baby from choking despite it being a major fear (58%) and 40% having witnessed it.

Responding to these concerns, the nation’s leading first aid charity has launched its new campaign, which includes a star-studded animated advert that teaches everyone what to do if a baby starts to choke. The film features the voices of David Walliams, David Mitchell, Johnny Vegas, and Sir John Hurt, who play several choking hazards who are fed up with babies choking on them.

The advert will be shown on television over the next three months and St John Ambulance is asking people to share the film online widely with their friends and family so that as many people as possible can learn to save a life.

The research also showed that:
• 53% of parents said knowing first aid would help them feel better prepared and less scared
• Of those who said they knew how to save a choking baby, only 29% knew the correct, recommended technique. Nearly three quarters of parents (71%) selected the wrong answer when given multiple choice options.
• 39% of parents think choking is the most important first aid skill to have as a parent
• Of the parents who’d witnessed their baby choke, 77% said their baby choked on food, 14% on vomit, and 9% on toys. Other causes included coins, mucus/phlegm, marbles, and pen lids
St John Ambulance CEO, Sue Killen, said:

‘Knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between life and death, especially with something like choking. We all know how time pressed parents are so this film makes it as easy as possible to learn first aid – in less than 40 seconds we can all know a skill that could save a life. We hope people watch and share the video with their friends and family so more people have the confidence to act in an emergency.’

In addition to the film, St John Ambulance has released new resources on its website to teach people life saving first aid skills.

The advert

In the advert, David Walliams, David Mitchell, Johnny Vegas and Sir John Hurt take on the character of objects that could potentially choke babies – a small Princess toy, a pen lid, a jelly baby and a peanut. They’ve joined together because they’ve had enough and want to show how easy it is to save a choking baby’s life.

The film starts with David Mitchell, as a chewed up pen lid, asking for the audience’s attention. A jelly baby – Johnny Vegas – then explains that they’re all fed up of babies choking on innocent objects like them.

Walliams’ lofty Princess character demonstrates the correct technique – up to five back blows, followed by up to five chest thrusts – on the jelly baby, now turning blue, who quickly coughs out a peanut (Sir John Hurt), before returning to his normal shade.

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On Saturday, I became one of over 200 bloggers who are taking a baton from Land's End to John O'Groats as part of #teamhonkrelay to raise funds for Sport Relief. I am part of Team Honk Birmingham and it was my responsibility to take the baton from Worcester to Bearwood, West Birmingham.

Getting the baton from Nikki's children (Image by Nikki)

My Team Honk day started at around 9.30am where I collected the baton from Nikki of Stressy Mummy and her lovely children at the rather glamorous location of the lay-by by junction 7 of the M5. Next, I travelled home and decorated my pushchair. Many thanks to Manie and the Opal Aura team for donating the decorations and helping to decorate the pushchair.

Opal Aura team and I

Next I walked down into Halesowen (with honks from the Opal Aura team all the way down the hill!) and got on the bus with Thomas and Daniel. We got some very strange looks during our 20 minute bus journey. We arrived at Bearwood Bus Station (another glamorous location!) and were met by Erica of 92three30 and A Little Luxury For Me and her son H.

Daniel with the baton

During all the excitement, Daniel slept pretty much all morning until we met Erica when he woke for a feed. I am sure the reason he stayed asleep so long despite the cold and windy weather was because he was warm and snuggly in his red snowsuit, kindly donated for the event by The Essential One. Many thanks to Katie from The Essential One for sending the snowsuit and keeping the youngest member of the #teamhonkrelay nice and warm!

My leg of the relay may be over but the baton does not reach John O'Groats until 23rd March so please keep donating. Every penny counts!! You can donate to Team Honk Birmingham here. All support is greatly appreciated.

The first ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games take place from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March 2014. The public can join the fun and games by running, swimming or cycling their way to raising cash at over a thousand venues around the country, including the landmark events at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

As one of the biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active raise cash and change lives. The money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help transform the lives of some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people both at home in the UK and across the world.

Honk Honk! I am playing a small part in the Team Honk Relay which involves over 200 bloggers taking a baton from Lands End to John O'Groats to raise money for Sport Relief. It started in Lands End on 12th January and finishes at John O'Groats on 23rd March. The full route and plan are here. Team Honk are hoping to raise over £20,000 for Sport Relief. Various modes of transport are being utilised as part of the relay and these include, pushchair pushes, roller blading across the Humber, boating round Bristol, #Honkopoly around London, fancy dress, onesies, bikes, scooters, planes, hiking, rafting and mountain climbing.

I am part of Team Honk Birmingham and will be taking the baton from Worcester to Bearwood, West Birmingham on Saturday 15th February. I am collecting the baton from Nikki from Stressy Mummy near junction 7, M5 in my car and am then driving home to collect Thomas and Daniel. Thomas, Daniel and I are then going to get the no. 9 bus into Birmingham with our decorated pushchair to give the baton to Erica from ninetothreethirty and A Little Luxury For Me. Thomas and I will be wearing Sport Relief t shirts with deeley boppers and headbands. Daniel, the youngest participant (I think!) of the relay (he will be 5 weeks old) is wearing a fantastic red snowsuit, very kindly donated by The Essential One for the event. We shall be honking on the bus and asking people to donate to Sport Relief using the text number below:

The first ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games take place from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March 2014. The public can join the fun and games by running, swimming or cycling their way to raising cash at over a thousand venues around the country, including the landmark events at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

As one of the biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active raise cash and change lives. The money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help transform the lives of some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people both at home in the UK and across the world.